


Power Rangers ADS

by drunkenpandaren



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Power Rangers R.P.M.
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24871639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drunkenpandaren/pseuds/drunkenpandaren
Summary: In an alternate world where the machines swept across the land, the walls of Ba Sing Se has become a fortress for those inside and out. A story of those who fight within and without it.
Kudos: 1





	1. The Gates of Ba Sing Se

"Why is it that every time Rangers are involved, I'm here?" said Suki, folding her arms at Sokka who whistled innocently. Katara wore an expression on her face and Suki smothered a laugh under her glove. "Go on, the prisoners are inside."

"I wish you wouldn't call them that," sighed Katara. "They're just kids."

"The one in red blew up a good portion of the street." Replied Suki as she unlocked the cell.

Inside the cell, a pair of boys sat, both around their ages. One of them sported a wicked scar, a burn scar, over the side of his face. The second was out cold, still sleeping but wore the oddest yellow and tan clothing.

"You come to get me out of this dump?" groused the conscious one.

"That depends," replied Katara. "What's your name?"

"I told you, I'm Zuko of the Fire Nation. I want to speak with Uncle. I know he's here." Responded the boy.

"And just WHO is your uncle?" replied Sokka. "Some bigshot here in Ba Sing Se?"

"You could say that," said Zuko. "Look, if you're not going to let me out, get the kid to a hospital."

Katara knelt beside the boy who still remained asleep. Placing a hand on his forehead, she frowned. "He's not burning up or anything."

"Yeah but he was tortured by Azulon forces," snapped back Zuko. "Just get him to a hospital and get him checked out."

Katara sighed. This was one of the times she hated being team leader, even if the team was just her and Sokka. "All right. And we'll get your uncle for you. In the meantime, just stay here and try and not antagonize the guards, okay?"

Zuko scowled but nodded.

* * *

"Your story checks out," said Sokka, returning a half hour later. "Katara's moved the kid to a hospital and you're free to go. C'mon, I'm taking you to see General Iroh."

"FINALLY," proclaimed Zuko, getting up and holding out his hands for the cuffs to the keys. Suki unlocked them and he massaged them. "Where's Uncle right now?"

"Main command tower," replied Suki as she led him out of the building, Sokka following from the rear. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se proper, PRINCE Zuko."

"Wait what?" inquired Sokka and Zuko smirked. "Prince? No way in hell you're a prince."

"And why's that?" responded Zuko.

:"Princes don't run around in the wastes," replied Sokka in a know-it-all voice. "They just simply sit in the upper quarter doing nothing."

Zuko reached over and grabbed the Water Tribe boy by the front of his blue shirt. "Don't. Start. With. Me. I've had the shittiest three years possible. Don't. Even." Then he released Sokka who brushed his shirt off.

"Testy," he muttered to Suki in a low voice.

Suki glared at Sokka. "If Ranger Black would learn to keep his mouth shut, things like this wouldn't happen."

Sokka opened his mouth to reply but then a device at his side chirped. Pulling it out and flipping it open, he said, "Sokka here."

"Sokka, there's a shield breach in Sector 12. North side of town near the water intakes. You're closest."

"Where's my backup?" replied Sokka and Zuko looked at Sokka curiously.

"Negative. Ranger Series Blue is across town. It will take her 10 minutes to arrive. You are a go for interception of the Azulon attack bot." replied the synthesized voice on the other end.

"Aw damnit," groused Sokka as he flipped the phone closed. "Hate to break and run but get going to the command tower you two. Attack bot just busted in."

"Wait what?" proclaimed Zuko, aghast. "What's it look like?"

"Dunno," replied Sokka, smirking as he pulled a small square from a tag that was hanging around his neck. "But it's my job to knock it down. Suki, get princey to safety. I'll handle this guy."

"Be careful," said Suki, grasping Zuko's arm and attempting to lead him away.

Slotting the device into the top and locking it into place, Sokka swung the device around before tabbing a switch. "A.D.S.! MAX DRIVE!"

Light exploded and an eruption of fire exploded out from behind him as the transformation took a hold of the teenager. In an instant, a black-suited form resolved from the explosion of light. His helmet had a stylized look to it as if it was designed as the head of an animal and he tore off with a screeching of tires on pavement.

Zuko stared at him, going a little cross-eyed with the effect. "What… was that?"

"That was our first and last line of defense against the Azulon attack bots: the Powered Recon Advanced Natural aGgression and dEfender Rescue Series." Explained Suki. "Power Rangers for short."

* * *

Water. Fire. Earth. Air.

One hundred years ago, our people lived in peace. A great wave of technology rose to greet our progress. Sword changed hands for the gun. Silver became a common place to purchase computers. And all was at peace. That was however until a deadly virus was unleashed upon our world.

Codenamed Azulon, it devastated our technology, rendering us incapable to fight against the march of the relentless soldiers that it created. People cried out for the Avatar, the embodiment of the four elements, to save them. But when there was no response, the world fell to Azulon's relentless march.

It is here, in the last desperate bastion of humanity, we live in Ba Sing Se. It's great walls are covered in a dome that will protect us all from the harsh wastelands our world has become. And the only hope left is in the hands of what remains of our means to fight aggression.

Power Rangers A.D.S.

* * *

Power Rangers is owned and copyright Disney Entertainment. Avatar the Last Airbender is owned by Nickelodeon.

* * *

**The Gates Of Ba Sing Se**

* * *

"Series Blue, ETA?"

"Almost there Doctor T," reported Katara as she revved the throttle of her motorcycle. The engine screamed as she tore through the streets, swerving around the remaining traffic that was being diverted from Sector 12. "I'm in a bit of a traffic jam."

"Continue on your pre designated route Series Blue," stated the distorted voice of Doctor T. "The Dragons are moving the civilians out of the way, diverting traffic."

"Coulda told you that," muttered Katara as she threw the cycle into a higher gear. "Almost there."

Suddenly, an explosion blossomed upwards from behind a tall building and a form came screaming out of the sky. Katara screeched to a halt a moment before the form hit the ground with a resounding thud. "Hang on, I just found Series Black."

"Did anyone get the number of that attack bot?" groaned Sokka as he sat up, holding his helmeted head.

"Boom time is no go time?" quipped Katara and Sokka gave his sister a glare. "Hey just saying…"

"Just suit up already!" groaned Sokka, getting to his feet.

"Fine, fine." With a hint of a smile on her face, Katara swung the device around. "A.D.S. MAX DRIVE!"

In an instant, a flash of light consumed her and the girl stood there dressed in blue, her own helmet stylized like a bird. "Now what are we up against?"

Without waiting for a reply, the attack bot slammed into the ground in front of them and bared its teeth as it waved its silly looking pipes around.

"That," replied Sokka blandly as the Pipinator charged at the pair.

"Joy." Katara reacted immediately as she swung her arms forward, bending the water in the air into a series of sharp ice spikes and launching them at the attack bot who parried most of them. As it closed in, Sokka swung in with his sword, the black metal of the meteorite blade slicing through one of the pipes it held as weapons.

The attack bot reeled as it swung and Sokka parried its attack, landing a blow that sliced open the front. Sidestepping neatly in tandem, Katara launched a deadly barrage of water that hardened into pinpoint spikes that drove itself deep into the machine's circuitry. It made a metallic groaning squeal as its eyes lit up.

"WHOA!" proclaimed Katara as she dove out of the place she was standing before it was lit up with a flurry of laser blasts. "Sokka!"

"On it!" Sokka charged headlong through the laser blasts, parrying most of them before he leaped high into the air. "Meteor Kick!" roared the teen as his outstretched leg blazed with black light. He struck home, kicking out several times and driving the enemy backwards. Metal caved inwards and the machine leaked fluid from every port as he finished off his sequence of kicks and leaped backwards just in time for a trail of ice to engulf the enemy attack bot.

Making a crushing gesture with her hand, Katara crushed the attack bot, shoving ice into the frame. The machine sparked and hissed and then exploded in a hail of scraps and mech fluid.

Sokka whooped loudly and cheered. "Yeah! That's GOT to be a new record!"

"Don't let your guard down Sokka," warned Katara as the remains slumped over as she released it from the icy prison. "It could still be functional."

"Aw c'mon, you totally shoved ice into its systems and it went BOOM! I dunno what it could possibly do."

Unknown to the pair, the attack bot was in fact still functioning. With what remained of its power, it moved the good pipe into position and energy glowed from it, targeting Katara. There was a low whine that built up and Katara didn't even notice until a voice yelled, "DOWN!"

Instinctively she hit the pavement as a beam scorched the air where her head was previously, and a blade stabbed into the head of the attack bot. It whimpered electronically and the function went out. "You should always make sure these things are dead," said Zuko as he withdrew the sword from its brain. "Azulon tech usually has some kind of backup last minute function. Best to sever the head before you do anything else."

"T-Thanks," said Katara, getting up from the ground as Suki ran up.

"Zuko!" yelled Suki angrily, hitting him on the arm.

"OW! What was that for?!"

"For RUNNING OFF," snapped Suki, looking every inch the officer she was. "If you didn't notice, they had it under control."

"I did what I had to," replied Zuko gruffly. "The attack bot woulda taken off that person's head."

"That person is also a Power Ranger," reminded Suki. "She can survive it. Right?"

"Y-yeah," said Katara, completely embarrassed as she rubbed the back of her helmet. "I could have."

Zuko fidgeted a little. "Fine. Just, let's get to the tower. Before I go completely nuts with a lack of explanations here."

* * *

"Uncle… can't… breathe… crushing… ribs…!"

General Iroh released his nephew and tousled his hair fondly. "I thought you had died, nephew," said Iroh, trying not to cry happily in front of his men. Several of the Dragons smothered smiles. "Did you find your family?"

"No… I didn't," replied Zuko. "I'm still looking but mark my words I'll find them soon."

"Mmmm," grunted Iroh. "Perhaps for now, it is best to rest here in Ba Sing Se, while we can maintain the shield. I see you also have met our defenders."

"I have, though they're not quite what I expected," admitted Zuko, looking at Sokka and Katara who had depowered to standby and were waiting in the background. Sokka was already digging a finger into his ear and Katara whipped him on the head. "I have to admit, there's DEFINITELY not what I expected."

"Sometimes the best things come out of the unexpected," reminded Iroh as he offered his nephew some tea. Zuko took a cup but didn't drink it yet. "They were hand selected by Doctor T, the genius behind our ability to fight back against the Azulon Virus."

"They look younger than I am. How can they be qualified to use spandex armor that somehow protects them from attack bots?"

"Hey, it's not spandex," insisted Suki and Zuko raised an eyebrow at her. "they're a nanotech fibre. At least what Doctor T insists they are."

"This old man still needs a crash course in them," chuckled Iroh as Suki settled back to her console. "In any case, nephew, I'd like you to go see Doctor T, AND that new visitor you brought with you. Where did you find him?"

"In the wastes, wandering the ruins of an Azulon Facility," replied Zuko. "I thought I had a lead on my sister, but all I found was this kid wandering there as if he was in a daze. I knew he needed medical help cause he looked half dead. And the torture marks on his body made me hurry back. Unfortunately SOME people don't remember just who's the nephew of General Iroh," he said sourly, thinking of the time he spent in prison due to a mishap.

"Very interesting," mused the general. "Very well. Katara?"

Katara snapped to attention. "Yes General?"

Iroh waved down her formality with a placating gesture. "Dear girl, call me Iroh. In any case, can you go check on our new visitor for us? I have a car waiting for you. Also, Sokka?"

"Yes sir?" said Sokka and Iroh rolled his eyes.

"Will you show Zuko to the testing facility?"

"Testing facility? WHAT testing facility?" inquired Zuko with the tone that he wasn't going to like this.

Iroh turned a winning smile onto his nephew and said, "Doctor T has taken great interest in our family. Please do whatever the good doctor tells you to."

"Why does the sense of impending doom always come at the last moment?" wondered Zuko out loud as he was dragged away by Sokka.

"By your leave sir," said Katara, heading out the door.

Iroh sat down, completely pleased with himself.

* * *

"Any change?"

"A little," replied the nurse on duty, a young graduate named Meng. She and Katara were familiar with each other since Katara often came to the hospital after a particularly vicious attack bot made its way into the dome. "He keeps fidgeting which means he's close to consciousness but I can't tell anything beyond a spike in REM once in a while."

"I wonder what he's dreaming about," said Katara, sitting down next to the boy's bed. "And what he was doing out in the wastes."

"You think he could be a survivor?" inquired Meng, adjusting the sheets around the boy in order to prevent him from tangling up in them.

"Most likely. Sokka and I were survivors when we first came to Ba Sing Se with our father before we became Rangers."

Reaching over, she tentatively touched his hands and was surprised. "Meng look at this. His hands are fairly smooth still."

Meng reached down and examined them. "Yeah, they are. You'd think someone who was out in the wastelands would be chapped and what not, but despite the scars that are healing…"

"Did you find anything else about him?" inquired Katara. "Any markings?"

Meng pursed her lips and then reached down, turning his arm to the side. "Look at these. They're ritual tattoos."

"Arrows…" mused Katara. "But no one has arrows tattooed anymore… do you think he's…?"

"I think so," said Meng. "I'm positive since I doubled in history. He's an airbender; or at least one of the tribe."

"That means they're not all wiped out," said Katara, hope surging. "That means there's still MORE survivors out there!"

A warning beep issued from the monitor and Meng looked up. "His BP is rising. I think he's waking."

Katara and Meng scrambled, preparing the boy as the monitors began to sound more and more alerts. The steady beeping rose sharply and then with a jerk, the boy awoke.

The boy opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Katara hovering over him. "Are you awake now?" she asked.

"…" said the boy, staring at her and then at Meng.

"Hello? Can you understand us?" inquired Meng.

"… wa…ter..?" managed the boy.

"Oh! Of course. One second." Dashing out, Meng grabbed a cup and a straw and filled the water and dumped ice in it before dashing back. With effort, the boy swallowed a mouthful.

"Thanks," he rasped out.

"No problem," said Meng. "Can you sit up? Do you know your name?"

"My name?" echoed the boy. His expression clouded into confusion and he seemed to be thinking hard. "My… name? … I don't remember my name…"

Katara and Meng shared a look of concern.

* * *

"Physically he's fine," sighed the doctor on duty. "Even with the signs of Azulon torture, those scars are healing well. Almost phenomenally well. XRays show that there's no sign of Azulon tech so we'll be alright with that. But his memory loss, and the fact that he keeps looking at everything strangely makes me wonder."

"Can you help him?" inquired Katara. "The patient was found in the wastes according to Zuko."

"I wouldn't know where to begin," sighed the doctor. "You must understand that I've never treated amnesia, or even selective amnesia. And even then we know little about Air Nomad tribal medicine to make a difference. He does however seem to take to the treatments well, if questioning everything in sight. I think I'm growing tired of the phrase "What's that"."

"Keep at it," reminded Katara. "I've got orders from Doctor T to bring him to the testing site."

"Huh. Would that kid make the cut?" inquired the doctor.

"That's what Doctor T wants to find out. The report interested the Doctor so we'll have to see what comes up."

"Well, the more help we have the better," replied the doctor. "I'll let you know if his condition changes."

"Thanks Jet," replied Katara as she left. Heading down the stairs and through the hospital doors, she picked up her helmet.

"What's this?" Katara jumped at the voice as the nameless boy was standing in front of the motorcycle, poking it. "Is it like one of those horseless carriages that I keep seeing outside my window?"

"… what are you doing outside your hospital bed?" inquired Katara incredulously.

"I wanted to see where you were going," replied the boy innocently. "And this place is so weird! Did you know they have places that can make ice on a whim?"

Katara groaned. "It's not healthy for you to be out right now, you're still recovering. C'mon, I'm going to take you back there."

"Don't really want to. It smells weird." Replied the boy.

"That's because it's sterile," replied Katara. "That means clean. Now c'mon!"

"But can't I go with you?"

Katara felt like tearing her hair out.

* * *

"I didn't know you were babysitting," smirked Sokka. He got a book to the head.

"I'm not. He just wanted to come along with me," replied Katara, gesturing to the boy who was running around, checking out everything in the testing facility. "Hey, don't touch everything!"

"Hey, what's this button doing?" inquired the boy, pressing a button on the console.

Sokka, who had gotten up and was getting an ice back for the bump, screamed like a girl as he was blasted by a cannon from inside the fridge. "ooooooooh…" the boy inched away from the button.

"Please don't touch that button. EVER." Resounded a voice from the monitors. The boy looked around for the voice and it added, "Over here."

The boy scampered up to the screens which had a large T on the front with a white background. "Hello, I am Doctor T."

The boy turned to Katara and said, "Katara? The wall's talking."

"I am not a wall," snapped Doctor T testily.

From an inside room, the door hissed open as Zuko stumbled out a little dizzily. "Testing is complete," said Doctor T as Zuko stumbled to a chair. "I will have the results shortly."

"Great." Zuko looked at the kid who he dragged into Ba Sing Se with him and said, "You're awake?"

"Yep!" said the boy cheerfully.

"Great. So what's your name?"

The boy's expression turned inward in thought. "Uh… can I get back to you on that?"

Zuko blinked. "What, you've got amnesia?"

"I think that's what the doctor guy told me I had," said the boy, shrugging.

"I have the results of the tests," said Doctor T, forestalling any further argument. "Candidate Zuko, you meet the standards of becoming the operator of Series Red. Congratulations."

Zuko let out a gust of air. "So that means I get to wear spandex or something?"

Sokka and Katara cringed at the possible explosion but instead, the wall slid open revealing a case with the Series Red Morpher. "Take it, before I lose my temper," said Doctor T and even through the distorted voice, one could hear the grinding of teeth.

"R-Right." Zuko picked up the device and the engine cell. But before the wall vault could close, the boy popped into view and picked up another one and the engine cell.

"Put that back," said Doctor T as the boy examined it in the light.

"So what does this do anyhow?" inquired the boy curiously of the cell phone.

"It is a device to deploy an armor and weapon system, so put it down. NOW." Snapped Doctor T.

"But how does it work?" inquired the boy again.

"It's easy," said Sokka blithely. "You just put that engine cell in the top, close it and press the big red button."

"You mean like this?" In a deft move, the boy slotted in the cell and pressed the big red button.

"NO!" chorused the entire room but it was too late. In a flash of yellow light, the nameless boy was wearing the outfit of the Series Yellow.

The boy reached up, touching his head and his hands and chest before proclaiming, "COOOOOL!"

"THAT IS NOT A TOY!" yelled Doctor T, the speakers virtually vibrating from the force of the doctors shout. "It'll take me WEEKS to reverse the genetic lock on the device!"

"Genetic… wot?" echoed the boy.

"Kid, you have a lot to learn, don't you?" sighed Zuko. "Hey Doc, am I allowed to even use mine?"

"Go… just go… damnit…"

Zuko rolled his eyes, jacked in his own engine cell and bound it to himself.

* * *

"Man, I have NEVER seen Doctor T so hacked off before – and we've never seen em before!" proclaimed Sokka through a mouthful of pizza.

The boy was picking at the food, or rather pulling the meat off the slice before he nibbled at the end of it. Katara sighed. "Give it a rest Sokka, what's done is done. And no, you're not in trouble kid."

"I'm not a kid, I'm 13," said the nameless boy.

"That being said," added Zuko through a mouthful of food, "We need to give you a name."

"I vote Bob the Lucky," said Sokka and everyone glared at him. "Hey, it's better than anything else we could come up with."

"Well lets see… you're from Air Nomads right?" said Katara and the boy shrugged. "Well your tattoos say so. But um, lets see…"

"How about Aang?" said Zuko. "Sounds good?"

"Aang it is," proclaimed Sokka.

"Hey you can't just go choosing his name without him agreeing to it first," protested Katara but the boy touched her arm.

"I like it. Aang. All right, I'll be Aang." Said the boy, his expression faraway.

"Well then Aang, welcome to the Power Rangers," said Sokka, raising a glass of chilled tea in salute.

"To the rangers, and to Aang," echoed Katara and Zuko raised his glass as well.

Aang raised his glass. "To me. And to my new friends."


	2. First Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first steps of every journey begins with a careful nudge out the door.

**FIRST STEPS**

* * *

"Ranger Series Yellow, what are you doing?"

Aang grunted as he wrestled with the unfamiliar controls of the Flying Bison Zord. The mammoth machine lifted one of its six legs and it came down on a stall. When it raised the leg again, a pitched scream of "MY CABBAGES!" echoed from the frantic stall owner. "Uh… walking?" replied Aang, trying to pull the leg up further but only succeeded into pulping said cabbages into a gooey paste. "It's harder than it looks."

"Series Yellow, pull up on the control stick and press the throttle," instructed Doctor T, the synthesized voice sounding far more irritated than it needed to be. "Series Red, Blue, Black, status report."

"Well we knocked it down," replied Sokka, pulling the Megazord to its feet. The attack bot started to shove itself upright and he sighed. "Can we get back to you on that Doctor T?"

"Series Blue?"

"Energy reserves are down to 72% with structural damage across two zords," replied Katara, wrestling with the controls to keep the machine upright. "Dragon-Hawk and Penguin Otter have sustained damage. Left motivator is down. Unable to hold the Horn Saber."

"Understood," replied Doctor T. "Series Yellow, follow the instructions I am downloading to your zord and begin uplink with the A.D.S. Megazord."

"Okay…" as the script scrawled across the screen, Aang tapped the side of his helmet and said, "Uh… Doctor T?"

"What is it now?"

"I um… I can't read this."

Dead silence. Even the attack bot seemed to notice the awkwardness and paused for a brief moment. That however was enough time for Zuko to wrestle the left motivator back online. "Sokka!"

"Huh? OH RIGHT! Deploying Horn Saber."

* * *

"You can't read," groused Doctor T, the screens flashing in irritation. "Is there anything ELSE you'd like to share with us Series Yellow?"

Aang shuffled his feet, feeling all for the world like he was standing in front of a teacher or perhaps a principal. "It's not that I can't read it's just that the characters are unfamiliar to me."

"I see…" Aang shuffled and fidgeted a little more. "We will need to correct this. Series Blue?"

"Yes Doctor T?" said Katara, looking up from her magazine.

"Please instruct Series Yellow on the basics of our script and reading comprehension."

Before Katara could protest, the screens powered off. "Wow," remarked Sokka. "Doctor T must REALLY be upset with the way the last battle went."

"There was a lot of property damage Sokka," reminded Zuko as he looked up from where he was working on a new cherry-red sports car. "Aang crushed several stands, destroyed a portion of the delivery chutes and to boot, whomped the public library."

"Don't forget about the cabbage stand," pointed out Aang and Zuko rolled his eyes.

Pulling a book from the shelves, Katara opened it to the first page and handed it to Aang. "Can you read any of this?"

Aang peered at the characters and frowned, rubbing his forehead. A minute passed as he peered closely and then said, "They look KIND of familiar but…"

"So you recognize any of it?" inquired Katara.

"Well… this one here means fire… and this is water… is this legendary?"

"Dictionary actually," said Katara. "So this is a good sign. You KNOW how to read but some of our characters are unfamiliar right now. How about writing?"

"Oh I'm good at that," replied Aang as he reached for the brush and found a pen. "Uh… what's this?"

"A pen," said Sokka. "You use it to write."

"But… where's the ink? And the brush?"

Sokka, Katara and Zuko shared a look. Not knowing how to read properly was one thing. Asking for a brush was outdated at best.

"This… is going to be harder than we thought," remarked Sokka, summing up everyone's thoughts, Aang included.

* * *

"I've managed to narrow some specifics down about Aang Doctor T," said Katara, reporting to the screen. "For instance, some of the things he knows, his ability to write and read are intact, but the knowledge is actually outdated by our standards. At least a hundred years or so."

"Not to mention he doesn't know basic plumbing. Had to show him how to use a shower after the last battle." Added Sokka. "And there's those clothes he's always wearing too. Seriously outdated even by our own culture."

"Well, that's a bit of a misnomer," put in Zuko. "He's actually wearing the latest fashions from a hundred years ago. PLUS? They're all hand-made and not by a machine. Most of the fashions from that time and age have been duplicated."

"So we have a bit of a mystery on our hands," finished Katara. "Any thoughts on this Doctor T?"

There was a long silence from the computer screen before Doctor T replied. "The clothing could be easily explained by him taking it from an old ruined display. However, I am certain that with time, he will be able to read and write our modern script. Apparently whoever raised him must have used heavily outdated history books to do so. I can think of no other logical explanation."

The trio looked over at Aang who was currently spinning happily on a chair around and around, laughing. "Sure," drawled Sokka. "And I'm sure he's this happy go lucky in a total apocalyptic warzone."

"Series Blue, Black, Red, it is your duty to bring him up to speed. All of you." A barrage of raised protests were heard but Doctor T added, "EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY." Backing down, the trio sighed. "Now then, I suggest you all get to work."

* * *

"So where's the chopsticks?" inquired Aang as he worked at chopping some vegetables for his evening meal.

"Oh we don't use those anymore," said Katara. "When the war started against Azulon, it became difficult to manufacture and hand-carve the chopsticks used in daily life. Somewhere along the line, a man developed the knife and fork and spoon."

"Oh," said Aang, holding up the large chopping knife. "And the fire thing?"

'That's a stove," replied Katara as she chopped up some meat for Sokka's meal to add to the pot. "Like a cooking fire but more effective."

"I see. Man, you don't get those things anywhere else do you?" remarked Aang.

"Only here in Ba Sing Se," replied Katara. "Because everything was damaged outside the dome, all of humanity's developments were brought here. Everything from the old to the new; radio signals, development of television and cars, and a lot of the old such as ostritch-horse drawn carts, the earthbender mail delivery system's that were brought over from Omashu…"

"I remember those," said Aang, a little wistfully. "Bumi loved them."

Katara blinked, a little surprised at the coincidence but didn't press. She did however wonder if he visited Omashu in the past. It held out the longest before the people were forced to evacuate to Ba Sing Se, leaving the city in ruins to the relentless machine march. "In any case, we've been improving our lives a little by little every day, but Ba Sing Se is still stuck in the past so to speak. Improvements to the quality of life HAVE been implemented but there's such a huge division of the population."

"What do you mean?" inquired Aang. "The city seems fine, or at least from what I've seen."

Katara frowned a little as she cut a bit of meat a little too viciously, making the kitchen table vibrate. "When Sokka and I arrived from what was left of the Southern Water Tribe with our dad, we were immediately shunted into the poorest part of the city. The division between the wealthy and the rich persists, and the wait time to get a home in a place that isn't a slum is high. Sokka and I were lucky enough to get out of there because our dad, Chief Hakoda was able to get an audience with General Iroh and get himself instilled as a military advisor. Not soon after that, Doctor T found us and we became Rangers."

"So that's why you don't live with your parents. Anyone else that you came with?"

"Gran-Gran," replied Katara automatically. "She lives in a fairly decent part of the city, the townhouse that dad managed to get for all of us. Sokka and I haven't been home in a while."

"It must be nice having family still," replied Aang. "I can't remember anything past the day I woke up in the hospital. I don't even know if there's any of my family who're waiting for me or not."

Sensing that the topic had gone onto an uncomfortable subject, Katara asked, "So Aang, what's with pure vegetarianism? Trying to cut down on meat?"

"All life is sacred, including meat animals," replied Aang automatically. "I dunno why I just know, you know?"

"Must have been something you remembered at least," smiled Katara. "That's good. Sokka pretty much takes up our Meat and Potatoes budget and there's always vegetables left over. C'mon, help me strain these beets."

* * *

"Series Yellow, pull up," instructed Doctor T. Another attack bot had shown itself the day after in the wee early hours of the morning and the Rangers had been deployed. Azulon had obviously realized that there was a weakness and the machine had been supersized immediately, cutting the middleman of a ground battle. "Pull UP before you hit a building."

"Trying to," grunted Aang as he wrestled with the control stick. The giant grey-matted bison groaned and thrashed, unwilling to cooperate with the commands the Ranger was trying to give him. "But this thing isn't responding to me!"

"That's what happens when your biofields aren't interacting properly," replied the Doctor as Aang managed to level off the Bison Zord. "Interlink protocols are down at the moment. You'll have to move in solo and attack the bot directly."

"Well whatever you do Aang? Better do it soon," grunted Zuko as he pulled the zord to a standing position. "Deploy the sword."

"Got it. Deploying Horn Saber." From the front of the zord, two decorative horns popped up and spun into the zords hand. With a flourish, the zord pulled both halves apart and sliced across the front of the attack bot. The silly looking mess of cables and wires reeled and fired an oversized garden hose.

"Whoa!" proclaimed Sokka, lifting the leg of the zord as the hose tried to wrap around the leg. The zord stumbled backwards as more and more hoses lashed out, scoring hits across the front of the zord. Many of them were parried and Sokka let out a "WOO!" as the zord was sent toppling to the ground. "We need that firepower like yesterday Aang!"

"Series Yellow, stop fighting with the zord," instructed Doctor T as Aang tried to pull up. "It will respond in time. It's a Flying Bison, the most temperamental of animals in history."

Flying Bison… Flying Bison… Flying Bison….

Something deep inside Aang awoke as he stopped fighting with the zord. Exhaling, he reached out and touched the controls, closing his eyes. "You're frightened too, huh buddy?" The machine thrummed, as if it was responding and Aang patted the controls. Readouts beeped loudly as energy started to flow correctly between the pair, as if bonding with each other. "Don't be. I'm here with you."

"AANG! LITTLE HELP HERE?!" cut in Katara through the radio.

Aang's eyes snapped open as he took controls. "Lets go." And he proclaimed, "YIP YIP!"

Automatically the machine launched itself into the air as the dull grey finish changed to a brilliant yellow color. A large arrow painted itself across the front of the Bison's head as Aang proclaimed, "Open fire!"

The machine opened its giant mouth, letting out a bellow before cannons popped out. A strafing barrage of missiles slammed into the attack bot, knocking it to the ground.

"An opening!" proclaimed Zuko. "MAX SABER STRIKE!"

* * *

"Yip yip?" said Sokka incredulously as they entered the garage. "Where did you come up with THAT?"

"I dunno I thought it was appropriate," replied Aang, shrugging. "And it worked since the Bison responded to me."

"Aang it's a machine. A machine with DNA in it to make it immune to the Azulon virus," reminded Katara.

Aang shook his head. "No, it's more than that. Something inside it seemed alive; really alive. And I think it finally stopped fighting with me and now we're working together as partners. I'm gonna name him Appa."

"Well there's a first," snorted Zuko. "A 300 ton death machine being given a name."

"I like it," said Katara. "Appa it is."

"I seriously hope we don't need to name the rest of them, considering that Appa just gained the Big Googly Anime Eyes Finish," remarked Sokka offhanded as he opened the fridge.

Everyone ignored the resulting blast as Sokka was hurled into the wall via Fridge Cannon. "Oh and Doctor T's sensitive about that last part," reminded Katara. "Just an fyi."

"R-right."


	3. Ranger Red

**Ranger Red**

* * *

"And then he said 'That's no penguin-bear, that's my wife!' GET IT? HUH?!"

Aang had this dumbfounded look on his face as Katara was in the middle of a truly epic facepalm. "What, you don't get it?" said Sokka. "You see, the penguin-bear is…"

"We got it the first time Sokka," interrupted Katara.

"I don't get it," added Aang, causing the other's expression to drop.

As part of Aang's conditioning to the new level of technology and customs, Katara had suggested they go out to a fast food restaurant. The three were sitting in a booth and Aang sipped his shake before clutching his head. Then he would sip again and clutch.

"So why didn't Zuko come with us?" inquired Sokka. "This is like the best burger joint in town."

"He had to go see his uncle," said Katara. "Something about a report."

* * *

Iroh cupped his tea, inhaling the scent of the jasmine before sipping carefully. "Mmm," he said before taking another sip. "Come in nephew. You've been standing there for the last ten minutes."

The door slid open as Zuko wore a surprised look on his face. "How'd you know I was at the door uncle?"

"A father always knows when a child is hiding from the parent," replied Iroh with a smile. "That, and I have camera feeds for the door."

"Oh." Replied Zuko lamely as he walked in, the door sliding shut behind him before he saluted.

"There's no need to salute nephew," reminded Iroh. "Have a seat."

"I'm fine," replied Zuko stiffly. "I've come to give my report on the long-term reconnaissance mission I undertook."

Iroh set down his tea and folded his hands. "Go on nephew. Let's hear it."

"I'm sorry to report that after three years in the wastes, I have been unable to penetrate the island chains of the Fire Nation currently designated hostile territory, as well as locate any surviving family members of the Fire Nation Royal Family, ourselves excepted."

"This is troubling news," said Iroh, stroking his beard. "No sign you say?"

"None," replied Zuko, the stiffness deflating from his stance. "Uncle… I looked everywhere. I can't find anyone. Not dads, nor mom, not even my sister. I tried sneaking into the Fire Nation but Azulon got the place too heavily guarded. I evaded capture about four times in the last ten weeks alone."

"Which leaves us the last survivors so far." Iroh looked at his nephew. "But that's not all you came for, is it Zuko? For there is another reason why you came back."

"Yeah. I came to ask for permission to go back into the wastes. With this new Ranger tech, I can finally get a clue, maybe a lead, blow up a facility here and there after rescuing the people inside." Said Zuko. "I've got a chance to prove that I'm worthy of this power."

"Permission denied Zuko," stated Iroh, causing the teen to stare in shock. "I cannot risk you to go into the wastes, especially with Ranger Technology under your control."

"But uncle!" protested Zuko. "People are at stake out there; I know there's survivors. Survivors who are holding out against the Azulon forces. Our own FAMILY is out there, possibly alive! I can't just stand here and—"

"ENOUGH!" snapped Iroh, causing the teen to jump. "Enough Zuko. You have done enough for now."

Sighing tiredly, the man stood and circled around his desk. "I allowed you to head into the wastes once. For three years we were out of contact. I do not want to go another three without knowing you are safe."

"So I just have to stand here? Twiddle my thumbs while Azulon attacks the dome?" demanded Zuko. "I can't uncle. Not until I know if my family, OUR family, is back and safe. Or worse. I need to know, uncle. Please."

Iroh inhaled, blew out a gust of hot air and sighed. "I will bring it up with the next meeting. Opening the dome to the outside is more dangerous every time we do it. The chance of a shield breach is inevitable. Please wait for a day, and then I will decide."

"Thank you uncle," said Zuko, saluting. Iroh saluted and the teen left, leaving the man feeling like he had aged twenty years.

* * *

**The Fire Nation.**

Once a great bastion of steam-powered technology, what was left of the once fertile land due to its volcanic soil was nothing more than a mess of a black spire of a mechanical monstrosity. Grinders, foot soldiers of the Azulon forces marched relentlessly, their armor and design similar to the ancient Fire Nation military in a cruel paradox.

In the uppermost part of the tower, a pair of robots debated hotly.

"I think he's mad," remarked the first robot. He was a hulking brute of a war machine, bristling with spires and weapons. His overall appearance was that of a general with massive black head protections that gave him the appearance of an armoured samurai or perhaps someone with really big sideburns.

The second robot shot his companion a look. "No, really?" Much slimmer than his companion, it was obvious that he was built for information and tactics. An array of antenna protruded from his head like a crown, and his face-plate was thin and his eyes slit and narrow. "I would have thought that was obvious Zhao."

"Can it, or I'll shove the next tactic of yours down your processor Ozai," grumbled Zhao, obviously agitated that the last attack bot had failed.

"Silence," thundered the machine with the eerie glowing red eye in the middle of the room. "Your prattle annoys me. Know your places."

"A thousand apologizes oh great one," soothed Ozai. "We were just discussing how to solve a problem."

"A very easily solved problem," grumbled Zhao and Azulon thundered again.

"Enough. Fortunately for the two of you, I have come up with a solution. I have time and time again refined the series Hybrids and come up with a new development."

An automated process reached into the depths of a series of robots and pulled a form from it. "Behold, the latest in infiltration technology. Azulon 4."

"It looks…" Zhao fumbled for the words.

"Human, is what we wish to say," added Ozai as the form was set down. "Great one, why…?"

"Because it is a tactic that no one expects," rumbled the supervirus as the being opened its eyes in activation. "Azulon 4, or "Azula" will be able to perform the tactics that we are lacking. Stealth, infiltration, and most importantly sabotage."

"Excellent strategy great one, I knew this was a good idea," said Ozai and he nudged his partner.

"Yeah, completely worth it," added Zhao.

* * *

"My king, if you look at the reports they are clear in black and white," said a man dressed in the traditional robes of office. "Countless valuable historical sites damaged in the last attack. A giant footprint in our nation's best row of statues and to top it all off, numerous complaints of vandalism of cabbages. Dear members of the council are you willing to continue to put the safety of Ba Sing Se in our hands of children?"

"Those children also have the means to repel the invaders time and time again," pointed out a wizened and elderly man on the council. He gnawed on a piece of candy loudly, the crackle of gems under his teeth loud. "In fact," he added through a mouthful, "I think he's done way more good than your Dai Li ever did Long Feng."

"The Dai Li are the preservers of the cultural importance of Ba Sing Se, not police or enforcers or RANGERS," pointed out Long Feng.

"They are still our best hope against the attacks," said Iroh, folding his hands in front of him. "The technology can only be maintained by Doctor T. Isn't that right?"

"General Iroh is correct," said the screen with the familiar black T on the front of it. "In fact, the Ranger Series bio-hardware is the only thing that we can rely on so far. There has been a sharp increase in Azulon technology at an astonishing rapid pace, and we are matching it pace for pace."

"I beg to differ. Last week the new yellow pilot destroyed the library, causing billions of coin in damages!" exclaimed Long Feng. "The amount of money required to repair the library will not only set back the cultural preservation act of this city, but endanger countless more lives when another attack lands directly atop it."

"You are so obsessed with the culture Long Feng," remarked the elderly man who was chomping on a new piece of rock candy. "Sit down for a spell, relax a little."

"I am relaxed," retorted Long Feng sharply. "Council, if you agree to it, I propose that we, the Dai Li, move to preserve more of the natural history. Without the resources, we are unable to continue sustaining our way of life."

"As much as we'd love to continue Long Feng, the fact is that we are under siege by a threat that has devastated our own world, stripping much of its resources," said the king finally. "Without the resources at hand as well as the brave men and women to be utilized for manpower to cut the stone and work the fields outside the city, we are thus far unable to continue repairing every single monument that is damaged."

"The council rests on the decision. Funding for the preservation act will be shortened, in order to repair the dwellings and buildings suffered by the damage," said Iroh, getting a nod from the other two minus Long Feng. "There has been a sharp incline in the homeless Long Feng. Surely you would not want to be one yourself when the next attack hits?"

"No." Rolling up his scrolls, Long Feng tucked it under his arm. "By your leave council." Bowing, he left the room.

As Long Feng left, Iroh sighed as the other elderly man chomped again on the rock candy, finishing it off with a smacking of fingers and lips. "That went better than I expected."

"He's a stubborn man," replied Bumi. "With the sharp increase in technology, the emphasis on a cultural way of life has all been drastically reduced to nothing. Thus being said? We're in for a fight on our hands and not just from the Azulon virus."

"I must agree on this point," remarked the king as he rubbed Bosco, his Bear's head. "Long Feng has been shunting resources to repair the cultural artefacts first, and leaving many people homeless and without food or water for ages."

"It gets worse," said Doctor T. "my sources indicate that he's also been skiving from the royal treasury to do this."

"A man with a cause can be as dangerous as a man with a spear or sword," mused Iroh sadly. "I hope this will not come to ruin."

* * *

Long Feng struck the table in front of him. To their credit, the Dai Li agents around him did not jump at the action. "Cowards," he spat angrily, sweeping his arm aside and throwing countless scrolls to the floor. "Can't they see that we need to preserve this land? There is nothing worse than the total destruction of our way of life! It's an outrage, it…!" Long Feng stared at one of the men across from him with curious white pieces in his ears. "What… is… that?"

"Latest media device sir," said the man, holding up the device. "I bought it for my daughter but she didn't like it."

Long Feng TWITCHED.

Amidst a hail of scrolls, the man bolted from the scene, leaving a furious Long Feng panting after he threw the contents of his secret library at him.

"There's got to be something I can do," muttered Long Feng. "Something that will keep that blasted heretic of bending out of my hair, and the council…!"

"If you're looking for that, I can provide it," said a female voice from behind the men. Long Feng's men spun towards the intruder who moved into the light.

Long Feng studied the girl. Tall, not overly curvy but sporting a trim build. There was nothing wasted in her appearance with sharp features. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

"There's nothing my master knows that he can get me into," said the girl, yawning theatrically as the agents surrounded her. "Oh pish, 20 agents versus little old me?"

"Get her out of here. I want no more interruptions," commanded Long Feng. He turned back to his work but couldn't continue as an agent was hurled bodily into his table, cracking it in half. "WHAT?!"

The girl was like lightning, a flurry of athletic violence as she took out Dai Li agent after agent. Bones cracked and cries from the men were heard. Some of them tried to bend their way into a defence but her fists merely broke through the walls erected. A team caged her in and for a moment, it looked like it worked. Then the entire structure exploded and the girl smirked.

"My turn."

Fire burst from her hands and feet, scattering the men like paper. She bathed the caverns in hot flame, forcing the benders to retreat. As the flames roared higher, causing the stone to bake like the inside of an oven, Long Feng was backed into a wall. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The girl smirked. "My master has a name. And he sends his regards to Long Feng."

"Your master…?" Long Feng swallowed. "You're one of those attack bots that ruin our fair city!"

"Oh you must mean the OTHER attack bots," purred the girl. "After all, I don't LOOK like one, do I?"

"But… the fire!"

"Firebending," she said, smirking. "It's a little thing that runs in our family. Now then, shall we talk? Cause I've got an offer you can't refuse."

* * *

"About time you got back," called out Sokka as Zuko stormed in, throwing his jacket to the side. "Talk with your uncle well?"

"I don't want to talk about it," replied Zuko, popping the fridge open, reaching around the cannon and grabbing a soda. Popping the top with a hiss, he drank half of it down before noticing everyone was staring at him. "What?"

"I take it your meeting didn't go well," said Katara.

"To say the least." Zuko struck the side of the fridge and the cannon deployed. Sokka instinctively cringed and ducked but no answering blast greeted him. "I asked uncle if I could go back outside the dome."

"Wait, you mean willingly?" inquired Aang. "Aren't we supposed to stay here and protect this place?"

"You guys have it under control, and it wouldn't be for so long," replied Zuko. "I've got people to find out there in the wastes. And I needed more time."

"Without you, we can't even put the Megazord together let alone make certain the attack bot stays dead," pointed out Sokka. "How are we supposed to fight without you anyhow?"

"You did it before," groused Zuko.

As if on cue, the screens in Doctor T's room flickered on. "Series Red? A moment if you will."

Zuko sighed. "A little busy being grumpy Doctor T."

"It's about your request to go into the wastes. It's been denied." Stated Doctor T.

"WHAT?!" roared Zuko. "Denied?! I thought uncle was getting me clearance!"

"The council debated on the situation and found that the loss of the Series Red would be detrimental to the defence of the city. Also, there has been a curious shield breach and a spike in the heat. I'd like you all to go check it out."

The can in Zuko's hand was crushed as he threw it into the recycling bin. "I'll do it. Better than trying to get out of this damn city…" Storming out, the others watched him leave.

"Well… that didn't go so well," said Sokka.

* * *

"This is stupid," grumbled Zuko as he kicked a piece of trash away irritably as he stormed towards the direction of the environmental controls to the dome. "Can't believe uncle didn't even let me go. There's got to be a way out of here…"

Looking around at the enormous fan, a worker looked up and waved him over. "Just in time," she said. "There's been a sharp increase in the heat index and people have been saying there's been signs of Grinders in the area."

"Fine I'll check it out," muttered Zuko. "Anything else I should know about?"

"Rear attacks," said the girl and Zuko let out a "wot?" a moment before a foot slammed into his lower back, throwing him head over heels into a pile of barrels. The worker smirked and in a flash of light, changed into a girl in metal armor. "So sad that you can't get what you want anymore," she cooed.

Zuko groaned and pushed himself back up. "Do I know you?" he asked as the girl smirked cruelly at him.

"Not yet. But you'll know it soon." A reflective visor snapped down in front of her face and she charged in. Zuko backpedalled from the flurry of blows and traded a few of his own. Jumping a sweep-kick, he was nailed solidly in the stomach and blown backwards from the force.

Coughing, he reached for his morpher and keyed in the comm.. "I could use some help from Doctor T. Environmental controls. Some kind of weird human-looking attack bot!"

"Understood. Hold them off until reinforcements arrive," replied Doctor T.

"You won't have any reinforcements when I'm done with you," sneered the girl before she punched forward at range. Zuko had a moment to react as he bent backwards, falling on his rear as a fireball skimmed the top of his head. Scrambling backwards, Zuko ran from the numerous fireballs that blazed a brilliant blue color. Old memories of how heat got hotter at different spectrums came to mind and he dodged each blast.

"C'mon, fight me! If you're too CHICKEN-BAT to try!" taunted the girl.

Zuko rolled to his feet and tabbed the device. "My pleasure. A.D.S. Max Drive!" Without hesitation, he commanded, "Dragon Swords!" And twinned blades appeared in his hands.

Charging forward and parrying the blue fireballs, he slashed at the opponent who fought back with astounding speed and accuracy. Fireballs were parried, kicks were dodged. Zuko ducked a particularly vicious blow that would have possibly fused his helmet to his face and he ploughed into her stomach, driving her backwards like a linesman before shoving out and slashing across her chest.

The blows connected and the attack bot was hurled backwards but before impacting the cement, she sprung upwards and swung her hands forward, bathing the entire ground with the hottest flames she could muster. Zuko yelped and danced from the heat and took to the air, leaping high above to land in front of her.

"You're sent by Azulon, aren't you?" growled Zuko as he pushed down on their arm lock.

"Yes I am. My master's quite interested in this place, in the way that someone would crush an ant under their heel." The girl inhaled and Zuko dodged out of the way as the air was lit up with a dragon-fire like breath attack. Rolling to his feet, he raised his hand and found it devoid of a sword.

"When did you…?!"

"Oh this little thing?" smirked Azula as she spun the weapon around before levelling it at him. "I thought I'd like a little souvenir."

Zuko growled angrily as he met the girl, sword to sword.

* * *

"ETA three and a half minutes," reported Katara.

"Careful Rangers, I'm picking up high discharges of fire in the area. No doubt it is a fire-based attack bot," said Doctor T.

Screeching to a halt, Sokka stared at the pair who were fighting. "Er, you sure about that doc? Cause it looks like to me that Zuko's picking a fight with a girl – and the girl's kicking his butt."

With a cry, Zuko went flying overhead and slammed into the hood of Sokka's truck, causing Aang and him to jump. "Nice of you to join the party," Zuko groaned as the pair got out of the truck and the Red Ranger rolled off the hood.

"Okay," said Katara, tossing her helmet to the side as the girl in front of them smirked, flames flickering in the background. "I don't know her, and I instinctively don't LIKE her."

"That goes double for me." Said Sokka. "A.D.S. MAX DRIVE!"

In an instant, the other three Rangers were in the fight as Sokka pulled out a large horn-shaped weapon. "MOOSE-LION HORN!" A brilliant discharge of power erupted as Sokka "blew" the end of it. The girl dodged the attack and Katara was there, bending the water in the air to wrap around her ankle.

"Too slow!" cried the girl as she sliced the water whip in half and came diving down for the group. Aang was in the center of it and he whipped his arms around. But rather than the gale force winds required for his airbending, there was a soft puff of air. "Uh oh…"

Swords clashed as Zuko held off the girl. "Aang, stop messing around!" roared Zuko as he forced the girl back. "Katara, Sokka, go!"

Katara nodded as she charged up an attack. Glowing blue, water spun rapidly into her hands as she threw her arms forward. "FREEZE GUSH!" The sphere left her hands and it froze the ground in front of her as it careened towards the fighting pair. Zuko leaped upwards and the girl sliced the attack in half. However as she did so, the water solidified instantly, trapping her in place. "Sokka!"

"Got it! MOOSE-LION HORN – BLADE MODE!" The horn flipped around into a curved weapon as he reared back. "BLADESTORM!" howled Sokka as the weapon was sent flying like a boomerang at the girl. There was a tremendous screeching of metal on metal as she was knocked onto her back.

"Time to end this," growled Zuko as he started to charge his own attack. "And I want my sword back too!"

"So possessive Zuzu," said the girl and Zuko froze. "What's the matter? Forgot this face?"

Zuko's sword clattered to the ground. "no way…" he whispered. "can't be…!"

"Zuko look out!" cried Aang as the girl hurled the weapon at him. Leaping in front of the stunned Ranger, Aang created a spinning blast of wind that knocked the girl and the sword away.

"Ugh…" groaned the girl as she staggered to her feet from the rough landing. "Enjoy it while you last. This world belongs to Azulon now." In a flash of light, she vanished.

"All right, we beat the badguy and saved the city," cheered Sokka.

"Zuko? You okay?" inquired Katara, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Zuko shrugged her hand off. "I want to be alone."

"But…"

"I SAID LEAVE!" At Zuko's thunderous yell, the Rangers shared a glance before heading back to their vehicles. Zuko kept staring at the place where the girl had vanished as the vehicles drove away. His sword dropped from numb fingers and he sunk to his knees.

"… after all this time… after all my searching… please Agni.. don't do this to me…"

* * *

In a darkened room, keys tapped at the keyboard rapidly, one hand switching to another. Working tirelessly, relentlessly, the illumination of a monitor was all the light the person needed.

And then, with a final click, she removed the device from her head. "This doesn't make any sense… that was not Ranger Yellow's special power. That was… something else."

**Author's Note:**

> Published 2/25/2010  
> Edited and Reformatted and Spellchecked for Republication on AO3: 6/22/2020
> 
> Hoooly hell I've come a long way. Just in time for the HD remaster on Netflix.


End file.
